What Does Sarrar Mean? Sarrar and Tirar Sarro in Brazilian Portuguese

So, what does sarrar mean? In Brazil, "sarrar" is slang for grinding on someone, rubbing your body against theirs in a sensual way, usually on the dance floor or in an intimate moment. That's the sarrar meaning in a nutshell: it's basically the Brazilian Portuguese version of "grinding." It's super informal slang you'll hear at parties, in songs, and in casual chats between friends, so it's worth getting it right.

But heads up: even though they look alike, sarrar and tirar sarro have nothing to do with each other. The tirar sarro meaning is "to tease" or "to make fun of someone" in a lighthearted way, a lot like giving a friend a hard time or roasting them in English. So if someone says they're "tirando sarro" with you, relax, they're just messing around. Mixing up these two can land you in a pretty awkward situation.

In this lesson, I'll explain as a Brazilian what sarrar means in Portuguese, the sarrando meaning (basically "grinding," the -ing form), what a sarrada is, when we say "sarra," what tirar sarro means, and how we use both expressions in real everyday phrases here in Brazil, so you get them right the first time and sound natural.

Video: "Sarrar" and "Tirar sarro" in Portuguese

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Phrases to practice

SARRAR

In short, "sarrar" is Portuguese slang for rubbing or grinding your body against someone else's in a sensual or sexual way.

• Ontem vi teu primo dançando com uma mina numa festa, passaram a noite inteira sarrando.
• Você é das pessoas que gostam de dar uma sarrada antes da hora H?
• Um homem foi linchado num ônibus porque ele tava se aproveitando da situação pra sarrar nas mulheres.

The Portuguese expression "na hora H" refers to the exact moment when something is about to happen, a lot like "the moment of truth" or "when the time comes" in English.

PRELIMINARES

In Portuguese, "preliminares" refers to the erotic or intimate activities between partners before sex itself, what you'd call foreplay in English.

Article in Portuguese: 15 dicas de preliminares deliciosas

TIRAR SARRO

In Brazil, "tirar sarro" is a colloquial Portuguese expression that means joking around, teasing, or making fun of someone in a light, laid-back way.

It's usually not malicious. It's more of a social thing with a playful, humorous tone.

Still, it's important to be sensitive when you use this kind of expression, so it doesn't come across as offensive.

• Por que você sempre fica tirando sarro da minha cara quando falo com ela?
• Cara, melhor nem ir com essa roupa aí porque com certeza vão tirar sarro da sua cara na reunião.
• Não quero falar sobre isso porque já sei que você não acredita nessas coisas e vai tirar sarro da minha cara.

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